Needle



May 25, 1937. TREJO 2,081,515

NEEDLE Original Filed Nov. 19, 1930 FIG 1.

INVENTOR kefzg/a 77e 0 57% g ATTORNEY Patented May 25, 1937 TES PATENT. orricr.

Application November 19, 1930, Serial No. 496,638 Renewed September 10, 1934 14 Claims.

My invention relates to a knitting needle and more particularly, in the form shown in this ap plication, to a needle intended to be used for the repairing of runs or similar unravellings in knitted fabrics such as silk hose and the like.

It is one object of my invention to provide a needle of the above indicated character that shall be positive and. unfailing in its operation in the proper looping of the threads about one another.

It is another object of my invention to provide a needle of the above indicated character with an auxiliary pivoted hook forming a pivoted opening and closing member for the main hook.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a needle of the above indicated character with means for positively ejecting the thread over the end of the needle to form the necessary loop in the re-knitting operation.

It is a still further object of my invention to provide means whereby the opening and closing member for the main hook may be positively locked in open position whenever desired, such as starting the repair among loose threads of other than the knitted material, and various other circumstances hereinafter referred to.

This is of considerable importance since needles of this kind may be operated by people who are totally unskilled in the operation of such devices. Needles heretofore intended for such purposes have required very exacting and painstaking care on the part of the user to avoid picking up more than one thread, or picking up threads on either side of the run, or skipping a thread and thus losing the continuity of operation necessary to accomplish the repair of a run and the consequent danger of having the repair already ac comp-lished become unravelled or otherwise affected, to thus defeat the true purpose of the needle.

With the needle shown in the accompanying application each thread is forced to positively and unfailingly loop over the advancing thread by the action of the incoming thread picked up by the needle, and as the needle is moved back and forth in progressing along the run or unravelling. In the event the next succeeding thread is missed for some reason the needle of this application does not become unthreaded so that no part of the run already repaired can unravel.

Other and further objects, such as the simplicity and compactness of structure, the low manufacturing cost of a needle embodying all of the enumerated improvements, etc., will more fully appear from the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved needle, While Figs. 2 and 3 are side elevations partly in sec- 5 tion and with parts broken away showing the two positions of the pivoted auxiliary hook;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section showing the detail of construction of the main hook of my improved needle;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view enlarged of the pivoted auxiliary hook;

Fig. 6 is a partial side elevation of a modified form of needle.

It will be understood that the showing and proportions indicated in the drawing are very greatly exaggerated over and above the actual size of the commercial form of my improved knitting needle.

The needle comprises a shank ll having a handle 42 at one end and an main hook or loop l3 formed at the opposite end, one side being the continuation of the shank II and the opposite side or leg I l being bent downwardly toward the shank H until the end l5 thereof nearly touches 5 the shank, forming what may be termed a closed loop. It will be noted that the material forming the shank and hook I3 is progressively reduced in diameter from the body of the shank to the pointed end I5 of the hook. The needle is slotted 30 longitudinally as indicated at IS, the slot extending to either side of the end !5 of the needle. The slot l6 has a curved end wall I! (Fig. 4) and a curved and shouldered end wall [8 so arranged as to provide the widest opening at the top or adjacent the point l5. The slot l6 thus shaped forms a cradle for the reception of an auxiliary hook l9 which is loosely mounted therein so as to turn freely upon a pivot pin 2|.

The auxiliary hook l9 comprises a head 22 40 (Fig. 5), a body portion 23 and a hook shaped end 24, which is an open hook. When the auxiliary hook is assembled in place the head 22 thereof rests upon the shouldered end wall 18 of the slot, and the curved portion of the hook 24 rests upon the curved end wall H. The member I9 has a cross cut 25 in the upper surface thereof and the head 22 projects above the upper surface to form the projecting shoulder 26. The upper surface is made up of two portions, one raised slightly above the other and joined at approximately the place indicated at 27. The portion 28 of the surface extending from the hook 24 is approximately straight or flat. The upper surface has a shallow groove 29 located near the head end and extending lengthwise of the member l9. It will be noted that the hole 3| for the reception of the pivot pin 2! is located off-center nearer the head end so that the auxiliary hook normally occupies the position shown in Fig. 3.

When operating a needle of the above described character, and the use in connection with repairing the run of a silk stocking will be assumed, the first or second thread above the run is inserted in the cross cut 25 of the auxiliary member l9, this being accomplished by inserting the hook I3 through the fabric in position to engage that thread. With a thread in the cross cut 25 the auxiliary member 99 will be caused to occupy the position shown in Fig. 2. In this position, there is formed an open mouth 32 between the end of the hook it and the upper surface of the auxiliary member it. In this same position the end 26 of the auxiliary hook fits into a groove 33 in the under side of the leg 24 of the loop E3, the shape of the parts being such that there is a smooth, uninterrupted surface from the mouth 32 along the upper surface of the member l9 around the auxiliary hook it and along the under surface of the portion I4 of the loop 53, and the parts are so interfitted that no threads can pass beyond the auxiliary hook 24.

Continuing the operation, with the first thread resting in the cross cut 25, the second thread is caused to enter the mouth 32. As the needle is withdrawn from the goods preparatory to advancing to engage the third thread, the second thread travels along the upper surface of the auxiliary member l9 and upon engagement with the surface 28 tilts the auxiliary member about the pivot 2! from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. This action will throw the first thread out of the cross cut 25 and upon the upper surface of the leg M of the hook it. Since in the position of the auxiliary member l9 shown in Fig. 3, the point I5 is located in the groove 29, there is no way for the first thread to enter the mouth 32 or to go anywhere except along the upper surface of the leg M of the main hook of the needle. The second thread in the meanwhile is caught by the auxiliary hook 24 and retained there. The continued withdrawal of the needle from the goods will cause the first thread to pass over the end of the main hook l3 and thus in a position to form the anchor for commencing the re-knitting operation along the run??- The end of the main hook I3 is now reinserted in the goods in position so that the third thread passes along the upper surface of the leg M. This same operation will cause the second thread that is retained by the auxiliary hook 2A to travel upwardly along the upper surface of the auxiliary member it in advance of the third thread travelling along leg H5. As the second thread passes beyond the pivot pin 2! the auxiliary member i9 is caused to rock to the position shown in Fig. 2, thus opening the mouth 32. The continued insertion of the needle into the goods to pick up the third thread will cause the second thread to engage the shoulder 25 of the head 22 which will prevent that second thread, from going beyond the head. Thus the second thread will come to rest in the groove 25 just prior to the time that the third thread reaches the open mouth 32. The retarding action of the engagement of the second thread with the shoulder 23 will cause the operator to again withdraw the needle from the goods whereupon the third thread will ride along the upper surface of the auxiliary member l9 and cause it to rock about the pivot 2 I, thus throwing or ejecting the second thread from the cross cut 25 and causing it to travel along the upper surface of the leg it of the hook iii to form the second loop of the reknitting operation. As explained above, the rocking of the auxiliary member I9 by the third thread will close the mouth 32 so. that the second thread cannot re-enter the hook at this point.

The above described cycle of operation is continued throughout the length of the run or unravelling until the same is complete whereupon the portions on either side of the run or unravelling are re-knitted together. At the opposite end of the run or unravelling the re-knitted threads are secured to the already knitted threads by any appropriate hand sewing for that purpose.

When the run or unravelling is several threads wide, the above described cycle of operations is repeated for each thread unravelled.

When the run extends to a portion of the hose or goods Which is knitted, and the starting threads may be loose, or which has a double thickness of knitted goods. it is difiicult to insert the needle for the start of the re-knitting operation and to hold the auxiliary member IS in the proper position for the placing of the first and second threads.

For this purpose I have provided a lock for holding the auxiliary member in the position shown in Fig. 2 with the mouth 32 open, and the end of the auxiliary hook 24 seated in the groove 33. The lock comprises a sleeve 34 which is mounted upon the shank H of the needle so as to slide therealong. The sleevev is provided with a handle or finger piece 35 that is secured to the sleeve as shown in Fig. l. The finger piece 35 is shown as formed of spring metal and bent to provide a fiat portion 36 terminating in an abrupt shoulder 31 which is adapted to engage in a notch 38 cut in the shank H of the needle. The engagement of the finger piece in the notch 33 holds the end of the sleeve 34 out of engagement with the head 22, as shown in Fig. 1.

When it is desired to lock the auxiliary member 19 in the position shown in Fig. 2, the sleeve 34 is slid forwardly by pressure upon the finger piece 35, so that the end of the sleeve 34 engages the upwardly inclined surface 39 of the head 22. Thus, as the sleeve 34 is moved forwardly, the end thereof rides along the inclined surface as and presses the head 22 down rocking the auxiliary member is about the pivot 2! so as to cause the auxiliary hook .24 to seat in the notch 33. The frictional engagement of the spring piece 35 with the side of the shank H is usually sufficient to retain the sleeve 35 in its forward position so that the auxiliary member I9 is locked against movement. If not, the finger may be retained upon the finger piece 35- and the sleeve 34 thus held forwardly. With the parts thus held in fixed position, it is not difiicult to place the first thread in the cross cut 25 and the second thread through the open mouth 32. As soon as this is done and the needle is withdrawn for the purpose of starting the re-knitting operation, the sleeve 3% is immediately slid r arwardly, so that as the second thread rides along the upper surface of the auxiliary member !9, it will be free to rock the member I 9 to eject the first thread as described above.

Referring to Fig. 6, there is shown a modified form of needle in which the only change consists in enclosing or making solid the main hook l3 of the form shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive. The

needle of Fig. 6 comprises a shank having a slot 52 in which is imbedded an auxiliary pivoted hook 53. The needle terminates in a main hook 54 which is entirely enclosed or made solid except where it is cut away as shown at 55, for the reception of the auxiliary hook 53. The leg 56 of the main hook 54 extends downwardly at an incline to a position adjacent the pivoted member 53 exactly as described above in connection with the leg M of the main hook l3.

By having the main hook solid or enclosed except where cut away for the reception of the auxiliary hook, overcomes any possibility of thread getting beyond the auxiliary hook 53 and thus interrupting the re-knitting operation.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a needle for the above described purposes which is certain and positive in its operation to the extent of rendering the needle fool proof in the hands of the inexperienced, because each thread is caused to do a particular work in the normal moving in and out of the needle in the weaving operation, and if by some chance the operator fails to pick up the next succeeding thread, the thread that is already in the cross cut 25 merely enters the mouth 32 and again engages the auxiliary hook 24. The reason for this is there being no thread to tilt the auxiliary member I!) and cause the closing of the mouth 32, the mouth 32 is open; so that the thread does not pass along the upper surface of the leg [4 but instead enters the open mouth 32. Thus the needle never becomes unthreaded. This being the case, there is no danger of the re-knitted portion becoming unravelled by reason of the needle becoming unthreaded.

Modifications may be made in the location and arrangement of parts within the spirit and scope of my invention, and such modifications are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A needle comprising a shank, a hook, pivoted means for retaining a thread above and outside said hook and for delivering the thread from the retaining means onto the outer surface of said hook.

2. A needle comprising a shank, a hook, means for retaining a thread above and outside said hook, and a pivoted mounting therefor whereby the thread is ejected onto the outer surface of said hook as the same is rocked.

3. A needle comprising a shank, a hook, pivoted means for retaining a thread above and outside said hook, and means whereby the next sucv seeding thread engaged by the needle actuates the pivoted means to cast the retained thread on to the outer surface of the needle whence it may pass off the needle.

4. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook, and a pivoted auxiliary member having a portion located entirely within the main hook and another portion extending outside the main hook in a position to form a mouth between the end of the hook and said pivoted member.

5. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook, a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and extending outside the main hook in a position to form a mouth between the end of the hook and said member, and a shoulder on the pivoted member located above said mouth and adapted to retain a thread.

6. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook, a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and extending outside the main hook in a position to form a month between the end of the hook and said member, a shoulder on the pivoted member located above said mouth and adapted to retain a thread, agroove in said pivoted member for the reception of the end of the main hook and a groove in the main hook for the reception of the end of the auxiliary member.

'7. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook, a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and extending outside the main hook in a position to form a mouth between the end of the hook and said member, and a shoulder on the pivoted member located above said mouth and adapted to retain a thread, the pivoted member having an uneven upper surface.

8. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook thereon, an auxiliary member located within the main hook, means for retaining a thread preparatory to passing the same about the main hook, and means for positively ejecting the thread onto the outer surface of the main hook.

9. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook thereon, and a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and connected with means for holding a thread outside said main hook, the movement of the auxiliary hook opening and closing the main hook.

10. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook thereon, and a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and connected with means for holding a thread outside said main hook, the location of a thread in the holding means serving to open the main hook for the reception of the second thread, and the subsequent normal operation of the needle causing the auxiliary member to rock to close the main hook and cast off the held thread, While the next succeeding normal movement of the needle places the second thread in the holding means and opens the main hook for the reception of the third thread.

11. A needle comprising a shank, a main hook thereon, and a pivoted auxiliary member located within the main hook and connected with means for holding a thread outside said main hook, the location of a thread in the holding means serving to open the main hook for the reception of the second thread, the withdrawal of the needle causing the second thread to rock the auxiliary member to close the main hook and cast off the first thread while the next insertion of the needle causes the second thread to again rock the auxiliary member to open the main hook for the reception of a third thread, the second thread in the meanwhile having passed to said holding means.

12. A needle comprising a curved hook and a pivoted member for opening and closing the hook, and extending within said hook, the curved portion of the hook partially enclosing the pivoted member.

13. A needle comprising a main hook, and an auxiliary member pivoted and movable to open and close the main hook, the main hook enclosing the auxiliary member to the point of the mounting of the auxiliary hook.

14, A needle comprising a shank, a main hook, and pivoted means extending partly within and partly outside of said hook, the pivot for said means being located within said hook.

REFUGIO TREJO. 

